Japanese Studies – ようこそ (Welcome)

Historically, Japan is one of the most dynamic nations in Asia. It is simultaneously steeped in rich traditions and a source of innovation. Australia’s relationship with Japan is one of the most engaged and durable diplomatic and trade relations in the region. Understanding Japan’s language, culture and history are vital for the socio-economic development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Monash has a long history of engagement with Japan and maintains one of the most extensive programs in Japanese studies in Australia. Monash prepares students with a critical appreciation of Japanese language and culture, and foundational skills and strong communicative competence to actively participate in Japanese professional environments and advancing scholarly research on Japan.

Our language offerings cater to students from introductory through advanced levels with a flexible structure that allows entry at several levels, ensuring sequential study suitable to student’s background. Language units combine the structured development of communication skills with aspects of Japanese society and culture. Elective and capstone units cover a number of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary areas of Japanese studies and ground understanding of Japan within broader Asian contexts. The units reflect the key strengths of the program in linguistics/applied linguistics, contemporary socio-cultural studies, history and translation.

We offer numerous opportunities for exchange, through both academic and internship programs. We also foster advanced study through well respected honours and postgraduate programs. Engagements are complemented by the Japanese Studies Centre and the Monash Asia Institute. We consider Monash to be one of the most established centres for gaining broader understanding of Japanese language, culture and society in Australia, which will assist Monash graduates in effectively operating in the “Asian Century”

The Japanese Language Speech Contest 2014 (Victorian Final) was held at the University of Melbourne on 7th September with 7 Monash students participating. Congratulations to the students and to the staff who helped them prepare their speeches and supported them on the day. The overall standard was very high and the Open Division was competitive.
Monash participants and prizes are:
Open Beginner Division (8 Read more

Written by Jason Emmanuelle – Bachelor of Arts – Languages (Major in Japanese and Linguistics)
On the 25th of June, 2014, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the inaugural recipients of the New Colombo Plan at an awards evening in Canberra. The New Colombo Plan Scholarship recipients will travel across the four pilot countries – Indonesia, Hong Kong, Read more

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is a welcome new initiative by the Australian Government to promote the study of an Asian Language overseas in an Asian country. I was one of a handful of fortunate Monash students that had applied to go on exchange to Japan to receive the NCP grant. As recipients of the Read more

All eight students leaving for Japan to start student exchange programs this April will receive grants of $6,000 New Colombo Plan Mobility Programs scheme. This is the pilot phase of the New Colombo Plan, for which the Australian Government announced $100 million of new funding over five years. The pilot phase takes place in 2014, involving Read more